The wolf pack
Fortunately, it only looked difficult-or rather, it was extremely difficult for humans.
Once Ghost leaped up in wolf form, his body's instincts kicked in on their own, and he easily mastered the knack of rock climbing.
I'm getting cocky! I'm such a clever wolf!!
Ghost bounded along the snowy cliffs close behind the giant wolf. All he could see ahead was white snow, with clouds and mist shrouding the summit.
Looking back, the place they had come from resembled an oil painting in varying shades of green. A cluster of tiny black dots moved slowly across a vast pale-green plain...
An eagle's clear cry pierced the sky, lingering among the mountains. Everything before him brimmed with boundless vitality beneath nature's brush.
How vast this world was!
Climbing felt great, and more climbing meant more fun... unfortunately, all that fun came with an aching back afterward.
Perhaps it was because the soul inside had changed, but by the time they reached their destination, a cave near the snowy summit, Ghost could no longer feel his four legs.
I just want to flop down and play dead...
Seeing Ghost sway, about to flop down again like a lazy dog, the giant wolf circled behind him and opened a huge mouth full of sharp teeth, pretending to bite.
Ghost shot forward like lightning, tucking his tail tightly against his hind legs.
"We're almost there," the giant wolf said in human speech.
The cave entrance lay beneath a huge boulder tilted over it. It was easy to miss without a close look.
The ground sloped downward all the way, and transparent ice of indeterminate thickness coated the cave walls. Crystal-clear ice stalagmites of every shape covered the ceiling.
Their tips were sharp enough to serve as weapons. They clustered densely overhead.
Only the sound of dripping water echoed through the silent, hollow space.
The farther down they went, the warmer it became. But the path grew narrower and rougher. Many branches split off within the cave, dark and deep, leading who knew where.
Ghost faintly heard human cries of pain and pleas for mercy.
The space abruptly opened up, and she saw a pool of steaming crimson spring water.
Beside the spring knelt two humans in ragged clothes, covered in blood like savages.
They dared not move a muscle, because two equally enormous wolves lay nearby.
One man's ear had been mauled. The blood had long since clotted, leaving only a horrific wound and less than half his ear cartilage. Broken wails escaped his mouth.
The other man was even worse off. His entire right hand had been torn off at the wrist, and his face was as pale as paper. He stared fixedly at the giant wolf to his right, his eyes full of venom...
Small rivulets of blood beneath them flowed slowly into the spring, dispersing in fine red threads.
The giant black wolf splashed through the crimson spring. A natural stone platform rose from the center of the pool. He lay straight down on it and even rolled over comfortably.
Ghost's head was full of question marks. He had no idea what was going on.
The yellow-and-white giant wolf walked over and affectionately licked the black wolf's face and neck. The two wolves pressed their foreheads together, looking as intimate as human lovers.
This must be the black wolf's mate. Then this wolf-man who could transform must be the pack's alpha.
The giant black wolf suddenly spoke in a deep human voice:
"Bai, these two filthy humans are yours."
"Bite them to death."
Before the two savages had recovered from the shock of hearing a wolf speak, they heard this and began frantically wailing and begging for mercy.
Ghost was stunned. For a moment, he thought he had misheard. "Why? I don't want to. They're so filthy..."
What came out was not a howl, but the crisp, clear voice of a little girl!!
This little voice sounds so lovely, I'm killing myself!! But how can I suddenly talk? Could it be because of this strange cave?
"Deal with your own enemies yourself. That is the rule of Great Snow Mountain."
Perhaps Ghost's words had given them a sliver of hope. The two savages cried and screamed, tears and snot streaming down and mixing with the black grime and blood on their bodies...
Their frenzied appearance frightened Ghost into backing away again and again.
They're so filthy!! Don't contaminate her pure, beautiful white fur.
A soft female voice rang out. "Bai is still young. She needs more tempering."
"Perhaps it's time for her to leave the pack. Your little sister shouldn't be this cowardly."
The black wolf remained silent, deep in thought.
The gentle she-wolf nuzzled her mate, stood up, and slowly opened her gaping maw...
Ghost saw fresh red shreds of meat still hanging between her sharp teeth. She jerked her head away, not daring to look again.
Accompanied by two piercing screams, scalding blood sprayed over her head and face.
The human heads rolled aside with a couple of thuds...
She had never known a person could spurt so much blood. It dyed her snowy-white fur completely bloodred.
A wash of blood utterly engulfed her vision, too...
Every sound gradually faded from her ears until everything was silent... she heard only one last farewell.
"Bai, goodbye."
The wolves followed the black wolf and his mate out, one after another...
Ghost sat beside the spring like a wooden figure for who knew how long. When she came to her senses, she discovered that all the blood on her had soaked away.
The water was pleasantly warm... if searing hunger had not reminded her, she would have liked to stay soaking there forever.
This was the black wolf's territory. She had to leave quickly.
A lone wolf driven out of the pack would be killed by the wolf king or queen if it stayed.
The two human bodies and their heads were long gone. Bloody drag marks remained on the ground. Food was hard to find on Great Snow Mountain; it took little thought to know what had happened to the bodies...
Even if they could turn into humans, underneath they were still just a pack of beasts.
Ghost's mind felt numb, and his emotions were all wrong. The novelty, excitement, and happiness he had felt along the way after transmigrating into this world had vanished.
Only fear remained-fear of the present and the future.
More frightening still, when the humans were being torn apart, bloodlust had stirred in her heart, and saliva had unconsciously filled her wolf's mouth.
Suppressing his fear, Ghost kept repeating inwardly, I'm human... I'm human.
Yes, I'm human. My name is Ghost. I come from the twenty-first century.
I like watching shows, I like maocai, I like sleeping in...
I'm not a wolf. I'm not Bai... my name is Ghost.
A long wolf howl suddenly rang out. It was a warning to Ghost.
She had to go.
She was going to human territory. She wanted to be human.
Ghost retraced the route they had taken. She guessed that human settlements were mostly on plains and hills.
She planned to return first to the place where she had been injured and investigate.
Besides, she kept feeling that the two savages who had died in the wolves' cave looked familiar.
Surely not. If things really were as she suspected...
Then she would probably have no choice but to hide in the mountain forests and never come out again.
Because in this world, wherever there were people, nowhere was safe...
Grrrrrrumble...
...Find something to eat first.
In the woods where he had picnicked with the black wolf, Ghost was lucky enough to find a stream with fish.
The current was swift, and Ghost dared not venture far in.
Unlike the native wolves, she only looked the part and had no experience hunting in the wild. For a while, the fish leaped in the water while she watched from the bank, frantic, her hungry belly rumbling like a drum.
Ghost ran along the bank after the fish and discovered a narrow opening where the stream dropped away. Lots of fish leaped high at the opening before falling down.
But she dared not go over, because a brown bear was squatting in this natural cafeteria...
Strictly speaking, the bear was not enormous, but Ghost was a coward. She had never even been able to beat the toy poodle at home! Let alone a big wild bear!!
The bear was wary when it saw Ghost, too. It lifted both forepaws off the ground and stood upright in a threatening posture.
Unwilling to look weak, Ghost bared his teeth and growled while shifting a tiny step backward...
Both sides cautiously stared at each other from a distance. Each weighed the other up and decided the outcome was uncertain. After a brief standoff, they went back to their own business.
Watching one big, fat fish after another jump straight into the bear's mouth, Ghost was filled with envy, jealousy, and hate...
I'm so mad! I'm so hungry... you fat stupid bear, just how much are you going to eat, aaaaah...
Ghost could not help letting out an aggrieved howl.
The brown bear seemed to hear... it stopped its wicked mouth and turned to look at Ghost lying on the bank.
Bear: O.o
Ghost: QAQ
Grrrrrumble, grumble.
The brown bear lowered its head, raised a paw, and brought it down hard...
Smack! A big, fat fish landed on the bank.
His eyes red with hunger, Ghost sank his teeth into it with a yowl, inwardly streaming with tears.
-I'm sorry. I really am a disgrace to wolfkind.
-Brother Bear, you're my big brother from now on.
-Ah~ this fish is so sweet.